“E3 is always a very special moment when everyone in the entertainment business does their best to amaze and engage gamers. For Ubisoft’s teams, it’s a period of pride and of anxious anticipation because they are finally showing off the games they’ve poured so much passion into, and receiving feedback from players and peers. Our industry has evolved so much in the past 30 years, but what hasn’t changed is my love and respect for the limitless passion and talent of developers and players alike. The video game industry continues to enjoy strong momentum, with powerful new platforms that enable more creativity, expression and imagination. More than ever, video games are showing how they will shape the future of entertainment. I can’t wait to be at E3 and see what the future has in store.” Yves Guillemot, co-founder and CEO, Ubisoft.
With Ubisoft celebrating 30 years of gaming, they had quite a bit to show at this year’s E3, between hacking and fractured but wholes, Ubi spared no expense with their show. With Aisha Tyler helming the stage, to the sounds of Queen’s Don’t stop me now, let’s dive in and see what we’re getting from the the Ubisoft camp.
Just Dance 2017
Kicking it off with Queen, yes, Queen after five years returns on Just Dance 2017. Ubisoft opened the show with a dance routine for Queen’s iconic song, “Don’t Stop Me Now” Just Dance will offer fans its first “dance on demand” streaming service with Just Dance Unlimited. Just Dance 2017 is releasing on all platforms as well as PC and Nintendo NX next year.
Watch Dogs 2
We saw more of Watch Dogs 2, the sequel to Ubisoft’s latest franchise which we learned more about the latest iteration in the series. We also learned more of Ubisoft’s partnership with Sony taking fruit.
Ubisoft and Sony Interactive Entertainment have collaborated on the WATCH_DOGS brand from the start. At the forefront of new generation consoles, WATCH_DOGS was one of the first to announce a title exclusive to next generation consoles in 2012. Ubisoft and Sony then worked hand in hand with a partnership in the early days of the PlayStation 4 and WATCH_DOGS became the best selling new franchise on these new platforms within the first week of its launch. The partnership goes farther as Ubisoft Motion Pictures, the film and television division of Ubisoft, announced its collaboration with Sony Pictures Entertainment and New Regency on development of a feature film based on WATCH_DOGS.
In WATCH_DOGS 2, players will use hacking as their ultimate weapon and explore their surroundings as a hacker and use the networked infrastructure of the city but also every person and connected device available in the game world to achieve their goals. Pushing the hacking gameplay even further, players will have the freedom to choose how to control their environment to complete their missions, and enjoy the chain of events they create in this living, dynamic open world environment.
Ghost Recon: Wildlands
Ubisoft revealed that Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands, the latest in the best-selling Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon franchise, will be available March 7, 2017 on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 computer entertainment system and Windows PC.
Developed by Ubisoft Paris, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands is a military shooter set in a massive and responsive open world, entirely playable in single-player or up to four-player co-op. Players will discover Bolivia a few years from now, a country turned into a narco-state by the vicious Santa Blanca drug cartel. Sent behind enemy lines, Ghosts will have to cripple the Santa Blanca cartel’s operation, breaking alliances between the drug lords and the corrupted government, and saving the Bolivian population from the cruelty of El Sueño, Santa Blanca’s ruthless leader. To do so, players will have a total freedom of choice to accomplish their missions how they want and watch as the world reacts to their actions.
Tom Clancy’s the Division Update
The Underground expansion for Tom Clancy’s The Division will be available first on Xbox One and Windows PC on June 28, and on August 2 for the PlayStation 4 computer entertainment system. Underground is the first of three paid expansions bringing new activities, features and items to build upon the original gameplay experience after the main story is completed. Underground is available with the Season Pass or can be purchased separately for $14.99.
In the Underground expansion, agents will confront and fight the threat rampaging through New York’s treacherous and claustrophobic underground. Players will hunt deadly enemies with up to three friends through an endless maze of tunnels and subways.
NEW FEATURES
- Dragon’s Nest incursion: The biggest incursion to date takes place in Hell’s Kitchen. Cleaners have been ramping up their efforts to destroy the virus with fire, and are causing disorder that will eventually affect the Base of Operations if not stopped.
- Underground mode: Explore randomly generated dungeons comprised of subways, tunnels and sewers to fight deadly enemies. Players will tackle extreme threats and environmental hazards and dive into new challenges, receive new rewards and recover powerful loot.
FREE CONTENT
All players will also get access to free content on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 computer entertainment system, and Windows PC.
- Challenge missions: Hudson Yards and the Queens Tunnel will be available in Challenge mode.
- Heroic difficulty: Players will be able to select the new Heroic difficulty setting for all the Falcon Lost and Clear Sky incursions and for all main missions that exist in Challenge mode.
To celebrate Ubisoft’s 30th anniversary, it was also announced that Tom Clancy’s The Division players will be offered three full outfits from the Tom Clancy family: Ghost Recon Wildlands, Rainbow Six Siege and Splinter Cell. Players can redeem these outfits on June 28 from the Ubisoft Club by logging into https://club.ubi.com/#!/en-US/login with their existing Uplay account.
As for Expansion II: Survival, it was revealed that this expansion will be coming soon. Players will have to survive as long as possible in a very hostile environment and in brutal weather conditions that will challenge even the most talented agents.
With more than 10 million registered users, Tom Clancy’s The Division takes place weeks after a devastating pandemic sweeps through New York on Black Friday. One by one, basic services fail and in only days, without food or water, society collapses into chaos. The Division, an autonomous unit of tactical agents leading seemingly ordinary lives among us, is activated to save society. Team up with other players to investigate the source of the virus, protect civilians from dangerous factions, and reclaim the city from the overwhelming turmoil.
For Honor
For Honor, Ubisoft’s new action IP in which players embody skilled and deadly elite warriors from the Knight, Viking and Samurai legacies, will be available on February 14. New details surrounding For Honor’s story-driven campaign were also revealed. For Honor, mixing skill with visceral, melee combat through its innovative Art of Battle, will be available on PlayStation 4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One and Windows PC, at launch.
Playable in solo and two-player co-op, online and split-screen, For Honor’s full-fledged story campaign is a tale of warriors in which players will live from the inside a crucial moment in the war amongst Knights, Vikings and Samurai. A thousand years after a huge cataclysm destroyed their world, the Knights, the Vikings and the Samurai have united their scattered forces and what was a rampant conflict is about to turn into a total open war. Embodying the greatest warriors in each faction, players will need all their wits and skill to ensure the survival of their people and foil the plans of Apollyon, the merciless and bloodthirsty leader of the Blackstone Legions. Storming castles and fortresses, turning the tide of massive battles and confronting deadly bosses in intense duels, players will become Heroes of legend, symbols and models for their warrior legacies.
In addition, it was announced during the E3 Ubisoft press conference that players and fans can start registering now at www.forhonorgame.com for a chance to take part in the forthcoming alpha and beta that will happen on all platforms. Registered fans will have a chance to play the game and provide feedback that will aid the For Honor team in providing the most immersive and enjoyable experience at launch.
Deluxe and Gold Editions of For Honor were also announced. With the Deluxe Edition, gamers will be able to dominate the battlefield faster and in style with exclusive content, including gear, customization items, a special execution effect for all heroes, boosters and more. The Retail version of the Deluxe Edition will also provide players and fans with an exclusive lithography and the original soundtrack of the game. Additional details about the Deluxe Edition will be available at a later date. The Gold Edition will include the base game, the Deluxe Pack items from the Deluxe Edition, plus the full Season Pass.
Additionally, fans who pre-order For Honor will receive the exclusive Legacy Battle Pack. This pack includes three exclusive armor designs, inspired by ancient tales of our warriors, and gamers can embody the legendary sprit of each faction in these legacy armor designs. These three armor styles are exclusive to the Legacy Battle Pack and wearable by the Warden, Raider, and Kensei Heroes. Developed by Ubisoft Montreal in collaboration with other Ubisoft studios, For Honor offers an engaging campaign and a thrilling multiplayer. Players embody warriors of the three Great Factions – the bold Knights, the brutal Vikings and the enigmatic Samurai – fighting to the death on intense and believable melee battlefields. Leveraging the Art of Battle, For Honor’s innovative combat system that puts them in total control of their warriors, players can use the unique skills and combat style of each Hero to dominate all the opponents who stand in their way.
South Park: The Fractured But Whole
Ubisoft and South Park Digital Studios announced that South Park: The Fractured But Whole will be available at retailers on December 6th. From the creators of South Park, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, and developed by Ubisoft San Francisco, The Fractured But Whole is an outrageous sequel to 2014’s award-winning title, South Park: The Stick of Truth. Trey Parker and Matt Stone have implied this was part of their original vision for the first game but the content expanded the limits of putting it in one game so now we have a fracture, in a good way.
With crime on the rise in South Park, the streets have never been more dangerous. As the sun sets on the quiet Colorado town, havoc and chaos unleash a reign of terror and the seedy underbelly of the city comes alive. The town needs new heroes to rise! Eric Cartman seizes the opportunity to save the town and create the best super hero franchise ever, his own Coon & Friends with himself as the leader, The Coon. Continuing in their role as The New Kid, players will become a member of Coon & Friends and fight for fame and their place beside the other kids. Players must harness their fart based powers to fight crime and become part of the most marketable superhero franchise of all time. Every superhero has an origin, and Coon & Friends are no different. Players will discover their backstory, assemble their unique costumes, and mix and match powers from numerous hero classes to create their own original hero.
Developed from the ground up using Ubisoft Massive’s proprietary engine, Snowdrop, The Fractured But Whole has expanded with more places to explore and greater freedom to customize each players’ character. An all-new combat system offers unique opportunities to master space and time while on the battlefield, and a revamped looting and crafting system gives players the freedom to craft their own equipment to aid them in battle.
South Park: The Fractured But Whole will be available in three editions: Standard, Gold, Steelbook Gold and Collector’s.
The Standard Edition:
· The complete South Park: The Fractured But Whole game
The Gold Edition (available digitally only) includes:
· The complete game
· The Season Pass
· A set of in-game costumes and a bonus perk to get fans started
· “Towelie: Your Gaming Bud”
The Collector’s Edition includes:
· The complete game
· “Towelie: Your Gaming Bud”
· A set of in-game costumes and a bonus perk to get fans started
· A set of physical lithographic prints with art from South Park Studios
· A six-inch replica figurine of “The Coon” by UbiCollectibles and ArtToyz
Anyone who purchases South Park: The Fractured But Whole will receive South Park: the Stick of Truth for free.* For the pre-purchases made at select retailers, you can start playing The Stick of Truth immediately. All pre-orders will also receive an exclusive in-game assistant, “Towelie: Your Gaming Bud.” The streets of South Park aren’t as safe as they used to be and even the most seasoned South Park veteran will need help navigating the dark streets. “Towelie: Your Gaming Bud” provides unique assistance to players at key locations throughout the game. Additionally, UbiCollectibles™ has teamed up with South Park Studios for the creation of three exclusive figurines:
· The Coon (Eric Cartman) aims to become the Hero this town needs. He is The Coon! This figurine will be available in two different formats: 3” (7.5cm) as a standalone product and 6” (15cm), available only in the Collector’s edition.
· Mysterion (Kenny McCormick) is the only superhero from his neighborhood with a real super power, he can’t stay dead. This figurine will be available in two sizes and unique posings: 3” (7.5cm) and 6” (15cm).
· Professor Chaos (Butters Stotch) has chosen to dedicate his life to bring chaos to the world with ambitions of becoming the greatest supervillain the world has ever seen! Professor Chaos is available in a 3” (7.5cm) size.
South Park: The Fractured But Whole will be available on December 6th as a digital download and at retailers on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 computer entertainment system and Windows PC.
Steep
Ubisoft announced the development of Steep, an action sports game set in the open world of the Alps and Alaska. Steep is scheduled to be released this winter on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 computer entertainment system and Windows PC.
With development led by Ubisoft Annecy,* Steep drops players onto the peaks of mountains, with exhilarating experiences that include skiing, wingsuiting, snowboarding, and paragliding. These sports establish an incredible level of freedom to explore the game’s open world, allowing players to choose the way they travel and play. Steep’s vast playground offers a wide range of activities that give players the opportunity to discover, compete, pull off crazy stunts, and more. Players can meet with friends from all over the world to create unique and memorable moments.
In Steep, players can use the innovative trail feature to relive their most inspiring rides and trailblazing achievements, and share them on social networks with friends. Along with sharing ride replays, players can also use this feature to challenge friends to outrace them on a shared path, create epic stunts or set out to discover the massive mountain playground. Steep is born in the mountains of the French Alps and created by a team of passionate riders from Ubisoft Annecy.
“We are just a few miles from the tallest peak in Europe, Mont Blanc. From our studio windows, we can see mountains all around us, and they’ve inspired us to develop Steep. Along with Ubisoft Montpellier and Ubisoft Kiev, we put significant online and multiplayer expertise to profit a game that captures the excitement and adrenaline we feel when we’re exploring the snowy mountains surrounding us.” Annecy Studio Manager Rebecka Coutaz.
“We love seeing videos of adventures and stunts that riders from all over the world share on social media,” said Igor Manceau, Creative Director on Steep. Steep’s open-world and wealth of multiplayer activities were built to inspire this type of creativity. We can’t wait to have players experience the thrill of the mountain as soon as the beta phases hit.”
To have a chance to play first during upcoming live periods, please register at http://www.steepgame.com.
Star Trek: Bridge Crew
Now for some VR!
Ubisoft announced Star Trek: Bridge Crew, a new virtual reality game where players explore space as a member of the Federation. Playable co-operatively with a crew or solo as Captain, Star Trek: Bridge Crew puts players directly onto the bridge in a Starfleet ship. Under license by CBS Consumer Products, Star Trek: Bridge Crew will be available on Oculus Rift and HTC Vive this fall, and PlayStationVR at launch of the platform/October.
The mission: explore a largely uncharted sector of space known as The Trench, in hopes of locating a suitable new home world for the decimated Vulcan populace while coming into direct conflict with the vaunted Klingon Empire. Star Trek: Bridge Crew puts a player and their friends into the heart of a new starship, the U.S.S. Aegis, where every action and decision that is made together will determine the fate of the ship and crew. As a crew, players will form a team of four to operate the roles of Captain, Helm, Tactical or Engineer. Each role is crucial to the success of the varied missions players face, and only by working together can the crew complete their objectives. Also playable in solo, players will assume the role of Captain and dispatch orders to their NPC crew mates. The Captain’s strategic decisions will be vital in order to successfully complete missions.
Developed by Red Storm Entertainment, a Ubisoft Studio, Star Trek: Bridge Crew was designed exclusively for VR, capitalizing on the powerful sense of social presence only possible through virtual reality. Through hand tracking and full-body avatars, including real-time lip-sync, players can experience what it’s like to serve as an officer on the bridge of a Federation starship.
“This game is particularly exciting because for the first time players will actually get to be a part of a Starfleet crew and work together to operate the ship as they face a variety of missions and challenges.” David Votypka, Sr. Creative Director at Red Storm Entertainment
“We’re always looking for new and compelling ways for fans to experience the Star Trek universe. This is the Star Trek game we’ve always wanted to make, but until now the technology didn’t exist,” said John Van Citters, Vice President of Product Development at CBS Consumer Products. “Working alongside Red Storm Entertainment, we’ve been able to bring to life a new ship, the U.S.S. Aegis, for fans to control as they take their turn in the captain’s chair and carry on Starfleet’s mission of exploration and truly bring the Star Trek experience to life.”
It’s up to players and their crew to chart the region, and to secure a peaceful Federation presence. The maiden voyage of the U.S.S. Aegis is theirs to command.
Star Trek: Bridge Crew marks the latest venture into virtual reality for Ubisoft, who believes in the strong potential of VR to redefine social gaming with a unique sense of reality. Keen to explore the opportunities of this emerging technology, Ubisoft recently announced the games Werewolves Within and Eagle Flight, as well as a VR partnership with the film company, SpectreVision.
Grow Up
Following 2015’s critically acclaimed Grow Home, a relaxing enjoyable puzzle platformer, a title that is a community favourite and was a fan-voted winner of the first ever PlayStation Plus Vote to Play program last year; We now have Grow Up, a new acrobatic adventure game, In Grow Up, players must guide little robot BUD around an entire alien world as he embarks on a dizzying mission that will see him leaping, rolling, bouncing and flying his way through a stunning and virtually boundless new open world. Grow Up will be available digitally worldwide on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 Computer Entertainment System and Windows PC in August 2016.
This new adventure comes from a small team at Reflections, a Ubisoft studio, who experimented with procedural animation in Grow Home and ended up creating a cute creature named BUD. In Grow Up, while out exploring the galaxy, BUD’s parental spaceship MOM falls to pieces as an unfortunate lunar accident sends her all over the place. Now her ship parts are scattered far and wide across an alien planet so rich in flora and fauna, it would make even the most jaded galactic gardener’s head spin. It’s up to BUD to collect all the parts and get them back to the moon, so he can rebuild MOM and reunite with her once again.
“We wanted to give fans of Grow Home the chance to explore a world where there is no edge, no invisible wall to hit,” said Pete Young, Producer at Reflections, a Ubisoft studio. “We can’t wait for them to join BUD in Grow Up on a fantastical new adventure to the moon.”
Working with new best friend POD, an adorable flying robot who likes planets perhaps a little too much, BUD must use his veritable tool belt of abilities to traverse the planet. Using BUD’s shiny new Floradex, players can put their own stamp on the world by cloning any of the 24 weird and wonderful plant types to catapult, shoot or float through the lush landscape filled with surprise discoveries. With all-new timed challenges, collectibles and abilities, players can tackle their mission head-on or spend time navigating the limitless landscape at their own pace.
Trials and Blood Dragon did a thing.
Keeping in line that Ubisoft loves to make fun of itself, they combined their April Fools creation, Far Cry Blood Dragon and Trials. Yup, we now have Trials: Blood Dragon. I’ll let the trailer explain this hilarious game.
And that’s all Ubisoft wrote for this year’s E3!
